Craft fair and workshops to help prepare for spring

If the unseasonably warm weather hasn’t got your green thumb twitching yet, perhaps you can find some gardening inspiration at the All Sprung Out market on March 7 at the Parksville Community and Conference Centre.

The fourth annual market hosted by Arbutus Events offers more than just a shopping experience.

Organizer Megan Olsen said the day-long event also has some great workshops.

At 10 a.m. there is an RDN WaterSmart seminar, which will have experts talking about rainwater harvesting, conservation and more. Foodies will want to check out the 11:30 a.m. workshop on how to make raw vegan truffles presented by Vida Turok. The holistic nutritionist and raw food chef is the owner of RAWkolates which is dedicated to those who are searching for raw organic fair trade vegan dark chocolates.

Then at 1 p.m. there is a Bokashi composting workshop hosted by Cowichan Compost. The Bokashi composting process is more of a fermentation process than a conventional composting process. Air is not required, making the process odour free, and the system can be completely sealed, which removes any worries about insects or animals becoming an issue.

Another workshop by the RDN is all about recycling. At 2:30 p.m. you can ask questions and find out the latest from our region’s recycling team.

Olsen explained the idea behind the event is to encourage people to shop locally and help sustain the amazing crafters and artisans who live right here in the community. “This supports local artists … the people who don’t have store fronts and are trying to make a living doing craft fairs,” she said.

Olsen said the market is also beneficial for shoppers who want a wide variety of items all under one roof.

“We strive to bring high quality crafts, products and food together in one great location and our vendors always come back so that gives us an indication that we are doing something right. We jury in our crafters that way we are not overloaded with jewelry or baby products and we have a wide a range of price points.”

All Sprung Out goes from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $3 and Olsen said partial proceeds will go to the Mid-Vancouver Island Bikers Against Child Abuse.